Metal roofs on pre-engineered building systems include a deck formed of a plurality of panels connected together and to the building structural elements in a non-penetrating manner Clip units and edge crimping attach these roof panels together and to the building. When metal panel roofs are installed on buildings there are overlap conditions to create a watertight seal. For example, when the roof is sufficiently wide and there are multiple panels required to cover the distance from the roof ridge to the eave, the panels will be overlapped. Specifically, the upslope panel, closest to the roof ridge, is laid atop and overlaps the downslope panel by several inches. The upslope and downslope panels at their longitudinal edges are then secured to one another with attachment clips. Illustrative of the overlapping roof panel concept is that found in a standing seam roof system. A standing seam roof is a metal roof that fastens to a structure without holes or penetrations.
A standing seam roof acts like a single steel membrane to protect the building. The roof is fastened to the structure using a mechanical seaming tool known as a “seamer.” The seamer tool bends the lateral metal ribs of the roof panel, forms the final shape and connects the roof panels to the structure without penetrating the roof. A structural standing seam roof panel system meets performance goals by being constructed with a raised portion where the lateral edges of the two panels meet, enhancing overall weather resistance. The lateral edges of the panels interlock in such a way that allows thermal expansion without damage to the roof structural components. The standing seam roof system relies upon the locking seam to assure complete weather-tightness and structural integrity. The standing seam of the roof system is machine formed on site with the seam as the roof system is installed, assuring a tight permanent seam.
At certain locations on the roof during installation there will be multiple overlaps of roofing panels. As discussed above, at the upslope and downslope panel overlap there will be two layers of panel that when wrapped in the double lock seam will form four wrapped layers. If the overlap from the laterally adjacent panel is included in the wrap this may create an undesirable configuration which can lead to a capillary action resulting in roof leaks. At present, when there is an overlap of excessive material, field notching has been completed with hand snips which is labor intensive, inaccurate and often impractical in certain roof configurations. Consequently, there is a need for a tool to quickly, and easily, remove excess material when there is an overlap condition that exceeds the limit of four layers in the seamed overlap.
The disclosed notching tool is capable of quickly and accurately removing excess material from a roof end lap condition. By simply sliding the area of the roof panel to be notched between the male and female dies of the tool and applying pressure to the handle components undesirable sheet metal can quickly be removed from the roof panel.